Ellen: LGBT rights requires everyone

The United States Supreme Court announced on Friday they will be officially reviewing whether same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry in America.

'We need people that believe in equality and believe in fairness and love'

And Ellen believes the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community needs support from all types of people in order to attain equal rights.

“It’s about time,” she noted of the Supreme Court announcement during the 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour Q&A session, according to Deadline. “The thing that changed the civil rights movement was when white people got involved and started marching. We need everyone on our side. We’re kind of trying to do this march and we need people that believe in equality and believe in fairness and love. If we have people that will join us and give us that, which is only fair to have the same rights as everybody else, then it’s a wonderful world.”

Ellen serves as producer for new NBC comedy series One Big Happy, which centres on the relationship between a lesbian and a straight guy who decide to have a child together.

When asked about how One Big Happy differs from her hit 1990s sitcom Ellen, the funnywoman noted audience reception is likely to alter drastically.

“We’re setting out with a lesbian as a central character, so it’s not a surprise…so nobody’s going to freak out, versus then, when it freaked out everybody – because nobody had a clue I was gay,” Ellen noted.

She also pointed out she doesn’t believe One Big Happy is particularly “groundbreaking” because it’s a programme about friends and family.

“[The definition of family] changes all the time,” Ellen said.

The 56-year-old comedienne has been married to actress Portia de Rossi since 2008.